Mounting for solar panels

Abstract

A mounting for solar panels has fixings which enable it to be easily attached to other mountings for a solar array and can be made of recycled plastic by vacuum forming.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A solar assembly adapted to be located on a roof or like supporting structure, the assembly comprising a plurality of interconnected frames each including a front edge, a rear edge, wedge shaped side pieces which extend between said front and rear edges, and an upper surface which extends between the front and rear edges and the side pieces and slopes upwardly from the front edge to the rear edge;
 a recess having an edge surface formed in the upper surface of each frame and a solar panel array supported by said edge surface of said recess of each frame to close the said each frame; 
 said front edge of each frame being narrower than said rear edge of each frame and said rear edge including an opening into which the front edge of an adjoining frame is inserted; 
 said opening, in use, being closed on its lowermost side by the supporting structure on which the assembly is located; 
 first fixing means for locking said front edge within said opening with an underside of the front edge in contact with the supporting structure; and 
 second fixing means for connecting the wedge shaped side pieces of each frame to the wedge shaped side pieces of adjoining frames. 
 
     
     
       2. An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the angle of the slope of each frame is between 5 and 20 degrees. 
     
     
       3. An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper surface of each frame includes an aperture to enable equalization of air pressure above and below the solar panel. 
     
     
       4. An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the recess in the top surface of the frame is configured to enable a standard solar panel to be fitted into the recess so that the upper surface of the solar panel when fitted in the recess is flush with the upper surface of the frame. 
     
     
       5. An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the opening is partly defined by a lip in a rear face of each frame so that the front thinner end of another frame can be inserted into the opening and fixed into place. 
     
     
       6. An assembly according to  claim 1 , wherein the frame is made by vacuum forming of a plastics material. 
     
     
       7. A solar array comprising a plurality of solar frames according to  claim 1 , wherein the respective frames are connected together. 
     
     
       8. A mounting for solar panels, the mounting comprising a frame having a front edge, a rear edge, an upper surface formed with a recess for receiving at least one solar panel, and side fixings that enable a plurality of like frames to be coupled together in a side-by-side arrangement, the frame sloping upwards from the front edge to the rear edge so that a solar panel received in said recess is inclined with respect to a supporting structure on which said frame is supported in use;
 wherein said front edge of said frame includes a recessed outwardly projecting lip portion that cooperates with said upper surface to define an opening when said mounting is installed on said structure; whereby said front edge of one said frame is capable of being inserted into and through a said opening in another like frame until a top surface of said one frame abuts against said lip portion of said other like frame so that said front edge of said one frame fits beneath and inside the rear edge of said other like frame, said lip portion being configured to enable said one frame to be attached to said other like frame. 
 
     
     
       9. A solar assembly adapted to be located on a roof or like supporting surface, the assembly comprising a plurality of interconnected frames each including a front edge, a rear edge, wedge shaped side pieces which extend between said front and rear edges, and an upper surface which extends between the front and rear edges and the side pieces and slopes upwardly from the front edge to the rear edge;
 a plurality of solar panels supported by said assembly; 
 first fixing means located on the front edge of each frame; 
 second fixing means located on the rear edge of each frame which co-operate with said first fixing means to secure together the front and rear edges of adjoining frames; 
 and third fixing means for connecting the wedge shaped side pieces of each frame to the wedge shaped side pieces of adjoining frames.